Power tools and more particularly handheld power tools are generally powered by electricity. Such power tools are typically used for residential and commercial construction, carpentry, repair, maintenance, and assembly projects, yard work, landscaping, and other related activities. Accordingly, the present disclosure encompasses a wide range of electric, handheld power tools including, without limitation, jigsaws, reciprocating saws, circular saws, chainsaws, drills, drivers, nail guns, staple guns, routers, rotary tools, paint guns, sanders, trimmers, and weed whackers.
Power tools typically have a driven shaft with an end for receiving a tool such as a saw blade, drill bit, sanding pad, or the like. An electric motor is coupled to the driven shaft for driving the same in a reciprocal, rotational, and/or orbital motion. A housing is typically provided for containing the electric motor. The housing may generally include a handle designed for a user to grip the power tool. A trigger is typically disposed along the handle for movement between an extended position and a depressed position. For many power tools, the user turns the power tool on by applying pressure to the trigger to move the trigger to the depressed position. By contrast, the user turns the power tool off by releasing pressure from the trigger allowing the trigger to return to the extended position.
Typically, the trigger is disposed in mechanical communication with a trigger switch positioned within the handle. The trigger switch usually includes a printed circuit board for controlling the electricity that is supplied to the electric motor. A problem that may arise with such a trigger switch configuration is that the printed circuit board, often housed within a trigger switch cover, takes up significant space within the handle and the handle must be designed to accommodate the width of the printed circuit board and/or the trigger switch cover. As such, the width of the printed circuit board and/or the trigger switch cover limits the packaging possibilities of power tools and dictates the size and design of the handle and housing.